EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

The Benefits of Perks for Remote Employees

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has been on the up. Research estimates by 2029, a third of the working population will operate remotely, as demand for more flexibility and freedom between work and life continues to grow. Over the last few years, candidates’ priorities have shifted dramatically as they reconsider how and where they want to work, pushing those employers with the most flexible working policies to the top of their list, whilst shining a less appealing light on the businesses slow to evolve beyond traditional full-time office-based working weeks.

But, what are the downsides of enabling remote work for teams? Whilst remote models bring with them a modernised approaches to how employees manage their work and home lives on the surface, employees can often feel disconnected to their business and face an increased risk of burnout – with latest research suggesting over a third (38%) of remote employees suffer with burnout and 86% with exhaustion due to working longer hours, feeling increased pressure to perform well and a poorer work-life balance.

This isn’t a fair trade-off. With remote working models looking more likely to be here to stay, employers need to make proactive strides in how they champion the wellbeing of their remote teams by granting better flexibility and a healthy work-life balance in a culture where every person is able to thrive – and everyone feels they truly matter, wherever they are based.

So, how can this be done? Here, we explore the key challenges facing remote teams and how HR, Rewards and Benefits leaders can implement a perks strategy that meaningfully combats to not only create a thriving workplace, but empowers employees to deliver meaningful business impact in 2024 and beyond.

Let’s dive in.

The Challenges of Working Remotely

We’ll now take a look at the specific challenges facing employers with remote teams, some of which often also apply to those working on the frontline in deskless roles. In the following section, we’ll then cover how employers can overcome these with an effective perks strategy that champions wellbeing and enhances productivity.

Poor communication routes.

Naturally, remote working models often risk breakdown in effective communication, particularly for businesses adjusting from a more traditional, office-based set-up without the right tools or tech stack. With across-the-desk questions and brainstorms no longer feasible, along with the loss of coffee break chats and lunch break catch-ups, many routes of communication and connection have been reshaped. And whilst of course instant communication tools such as Teams and Slack have been able to bridge these gaps to a degree, the lack of in-person interaction removes wider yet important subtleties of non-verbal communication, which can result in confusion and misunderstanding, as well as more limited interpersonal relationships between colleagues. Particularly as workplace communication channels often remain exclusive to work-related topics, this absence of human connection can create a sense of isolation and lack of belonging for remote employees.

Weakened workplace culture.

The rise of remote working has called for many employers to pivot how they implement and champion their business’ culture and its values. With the absence of a physical office, culture is no longer something to be only read on the wall, but something that needs to be understood and embodied by employees regardless of where they are based. Often, without this reliance on an in-office culture, a business’ core principles and values can go overlooked, leading to a lack of purpose and alignment for employees working remotely.

Lack of visibility of team performance.

Without frequent in-person working, visibility of employees’ performance, including both their successes and challenges, is lessened for managers and senior leaders. This can lead remote teams to become disengaged when they don’t feel valued for their contributions and wins, or don’t feel the barriers they face that are hindering their performance are understood. Similarly, this lack of visibility can lead managers to struggle to effectively mentor their teams and strike a good balance between recognition, accountability and autonomy, risking micromanagement for some and a lack of support and guidance for others.

Undervalued employee wellbeing.

As we’ve already touched upon, remote workplaces can champion better flexibility for employees – but on the other side of the coin can also compromise their work-life balance, mental health and overall wellbeing. If remote employees find it difficult to separate work and home life, or feel pressure or are expected to work longer hours, their health and wellbeing needs often go undervalued by their employer, which will significantly impact workforce engagement, productivity and retention.

5 Benefits of Perks for Remote Employees

Whilst these challenges can often be commonplace within remote businesses, a comprehensive and tailored rewards and benefits strategy can meaningfully address each of these barriers and empower employees to be healthy and happy at work. Let’s now take a look at what the benefits are of employers prioritising this.

1. Improved workforce connection.

With an effective rewards and benefits strategy, employees are more likely to be engaged at work and prioritise both work- and social-driven communication with their managers as well as their peers. To start, this should come from the top-down – managers should deliver recognition and reward in a consistent way that lets the wider team know of a peer’s recent success. This brings a sense of connection and belonging to remote employees who can see others congratulated, which motivates them to do the same. Plus, with a dedicated digital social space, employers can centralise all rewards and benefits communication, alongside encourage colleagues to share their success stories big and small, bringing teams closer together.

2. Stronger business culture.

When rewards and benefits are intrinsically linked to and embody a business’ cultural values, this ensures its teams not only understand these values but know how to exemplify them to receive a reward. This creates a purpose-driven, culturally-authentic organisation in which its people feel aligned to the values it stands for and its goals moving forward, which goes beyond a mission statement written on the office wall.

3. Improved employee accountability and motivation.

As employees are rewarded for their contributions, both in- and outside of their role performance, they are engaged and motivated to become more accountable in the value they bring to the business. This also goes beyond their own individual reward – when remote colleagues have visibility of others’ achievements, and how they’re recognised and rewarded for these, they’re inspired to maximise their productivity in an environment where wins are seen, heard and praised – regardless of whether teams operate remotely.

4. Enhanced wellbeing and productivity.

Importantly, an effective perks strategy must be tailored to the personalised needs of the business. Particularly as more traditional in-office benefits, such as free team lunches, free coffee and team socials, are no longer as prominent, the benefits package needs to reflect the unique needs of remote teams. When these needs are effectively assessed and reflected, employees are empowered to thrive both in- and outside of work, with their wellbeing prioritised by their business. This will not only boost productivity, but reduce sick leave and absenteeism, as well as enhance retention.

5. A more inclusive place to work.

An effective and tailored perks strategy creates a more inclusive workplace that empowers employees of all backgrounds to be their best both in- and outside of work. Many remote employees will be balancing other key responsibilities alongside work in their day-to-day, which effective perks alongside a remote model can support them in achieving. Rewards, recognition and benefits also create a happier, more connected workplace based upon sharing success stories, meaningfully rewarding wins and engaging the wider workforce. This enables employers to attract and hire more diverse talent with a culture that embraces the needs of employees and celebrates the value they bring.

Examples of Perks for Remote Employees

Now, as found in Rippl’s research, an alarming 46% of employers disguise legal or statutory employee rights as ‘benefits’ or ‘perks’ in their job listings. This includes company pension contributions, statutory sick pay and the minimum legal annual leave entitlement.

So, of course in addition to the ‘bare minimum benefits’, here are some examples of perks for remote employees which will meaningfully engage and empower teams:

Employee discounts – From savings on the weekly shop and monthly gym membership to a special meal out
Savings on day out – Including cinema and theatre tickets, theme parks and day trips
Remote co-working spaces – Enabling remote colleagues to choose a convenient space for them, with the option to connect with colleagues
Car maintenance – Helping to spread the cost of car servicing, MOTs and repairs
Tech purchase scheme – Enabling employees to purchase the latest tech products

Rewarding Your Remote Employees

Looking to revolutionise your perks strategy for your remote teams? Rippl does employee rewards and benefits differently. We don’t believe in tick-box approaches – we believe in creating meaningful workplace cultures that empower everyone to thrive, whether they’re in your Head Office, working remotely, or operating from the frontline.

Check out our award-winning employee benefits catalogue, which streamlines benefits addressing each pillar of wellbeing into one, mobile-accessible hub for employees to use around the clock. Plus, we’re always evolving our book of benefits with the latest perks on the market. One of our most recent additions includes our partnership with Reef, the UK’s largest remote co-working subscription network, which enables remote employees to find laptop-friendly locations to work from whenever, wherever they choose, with on-site discounts and offers to take advantage of exclusive to Reef members.

Plus, with Rippl’s dynamic reward feature, our customers place recognition, rewards and benefits into the pockets of their teams, wherever they are based.

Book your exclusive demo to discover how Rippl can inspire, connect and reward the brilliant people behind your brand: https://rippl.work/demo/

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FAQs on The Benefits of Perks for Remote Employees

You can meaningfully reward remote employees with meaningful perks such as discounts, savings on leisure activities, access to co-working spaces, car maintenance assistance, and tech purchase schemes – just to name a few. These benefits go beyond statutory requirements, making remote workers feel valued, engaged, and empowered while improving both their work experience and overall wellbeing.

Whilst this looks different in every business, this often can include employees feeling disconnected from the business and a higher risk of burnout. Research indicates that 38% of remote employees experience burnout, and 86% face exhaustion due to longer hours, increased pressure to perform, and a poorer work-life balance.

Employee perks can enhance workplace culture for remote teams by aligning rewards with the company’s core values. When perks reflect these values, employees better understand and embody them, fostering a purpose-driven, culturally-authentic environment. This strengthens team alignment with the company’s goals, creating a deeper connection beyond just a written mission statement.

With Rippl, you’re able to set to your rewards budget in line with your strategy so managers can distribute reward points and pre-paid cards. All rewards are instantly delivered to employees’ in-platform digital wallets for them to redeem against 300+ retail, travel, hospitality and leisure brands. Plus, any unredeemed rewards are always refunded back to you.

Our customers are able to build tailored and bespoke benefits packages that reflect the unique needs of their workforce. You can host your existing perks within your in-platform benefits hub, or tailor additional benefits into your offer from our extensive catalogue.

We understand every workforce is brilliantly unique. That’s why Rippl can be used for teams with as little as 500 employees, all the way up to 10,000+. Chat to us about pricing based on your workforce size.

Yes! We pride ourselves on providing a platform with global reach, so our customers can deliver a consistent experience to their people. Read our existing case studies here.

The Benefits of Perks for Remote Employees

The Challenges of Working Remotely

Poor communication routes.

Weakened workplace culture.

Lack of visibility of team performance.

Undervalued employee wellbeing.

5 Benefits of Perks for Remote Employees

1. Improved workforce connection.

2. Stronger business culture.

3. Improved employee accountability and motivation.

4. Enhanced wellbeing and productivity.

5. A more inclusive place to work.

Examples of Perks for Remote Employees

Rewarding Your Remote Employees

Improve Your Employee Recognition with Rippl

FAQs on The Benefits of Perks for Remote Employees

How do you reward remote employees?

What are the negatives of remote work?

How can employee perks enhance workplace culture for remote teams?

How do rewards work in Rippl?

Which employee benefits can I choose from in Rippl?

How many employees can Rippl support?

Does Rippl support international or global teams?

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